NEA-NH Reaction to Proposed Educator Code of Conduct

NEA-New Hampshire released the following statement today regarding the proposed Code of Conduct for Educators approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education:

NEA-NH believes the administrative rules that address educator misconduct should delineate clear expectations and transparent procedural measures. We were able to work with the drafters of the new proposal to suggest changes throughout the process in an attempt to achieve these goals.

“Our own NEA Code of Ethics recognizes that our members believe in the worth and dignity of each human being, recognize the supreme importance of the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, the nurture of the democratic principles, and accept the responsibility to adhere to the highest ethical standards,” said Megan Tuttle, NEA-NH President.

“As educators, we recognize the magnitude of the responsibility inherent in the teaching process. The desire for the respect and confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and of the members of the community provides the incentive to attain and maintain the highest possible degree of ethical conduct.”

“We believe the changes we suggested brought more clarity to the proposal, and avoided unintended consequences, while achieving our shared goals. We had hoped that more of them would have been included in the final document. All our suggestions are informed by our experience as educators.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Department staff and to make these suggestions. We know we share a common desire of making our schools wonderful places to work and learn.”